OUR MOTTO: Remembering friends, visiting the old, the
sick, those in need and in time of trouble - even when we don't feel like
it - at least now and then.

We're all busy and it's so tedious to
get in a car to go see someone who's sick or dying or just old or who's
had a death in the family or whatever, and that's why the Zen Aluminati
are here to prod us on to do a little bit more than we'd do on our own.

The Zen Aluminati were caught napping when Del Carlson, in his
eighties, spent three miserable weeks in a hospital without one visit. Del
had spent every summer all summer at Tassajara being a hard working
kitchen worker and regular zendo attendee. He's done a lot of hospice time
for others too, especially Phil Whalen. It's not that no one knew where
Del was - there was a wellness ceremony for him at Green Gulch. We were
all just too busy. Del was so mad. He told me when he got out the first
thing he did was change his will. Now he's living in Florida.

I know there are many people in our wide community (not just Zen
Center) who have dedicated lots of time and effort to hospice work, to
nursing, doctoring, helping those in need. The purpose of the Zen
Aluminati is to encourage those like me who avoid this sort of selfless
behavior to do just a little bit now and then. And then maybe someday we
may be lying somewhere staring at the ceiling and some young
whippersnappers will come by on their way to the beach and hang out with
us a bit. - DC

I did a bunch of lobbying back then in 2004 for ZC to start an alumni
group which could, among other things, serve the goals stated herein. Now
there's an alumni group. Of course the board members and officers who are
trying to keep Zen Center afloat are hoping that the alumni can serve the
traditional purpose of fundraising. But the alumni may well also expand
the conscience of ZC. May no one be forgotten.----- From
SFZC Alumni
Retreat comments. - dc, 5-1-12